I like to think of myself as a bi-coastal dweller; having grown up in the mountains of Northern California, perhaps it was my time on stage as an actor and musician that encouraged me to roam outside the rolling foothills of the Sierras to try my hand at city living.

Presently, I am a student at Columbia University studying Anthropology and Sustainable Development. Airbnb is one of those sites that bridges those social gaps and tensions that seem to be inherent in our society - hosting and being a host-ee is a special way to build connections, share those very human experiences that our day to day lives perhaps seem to shuffle under the table.

The summer after I graduated high school, I adventured on a Eurorail trip throughout the greater part of Western Europe - this, while perhaps my greatest adventure (partly because the trip was self-funded) was not the trip that launched my interest in traveling: my family and I, for as long as I can remember, would take a month out of the summer and pick a destination in the US, pack the car, and go camp. What a great way to experience this country.

Grant was incredibly communicative, responsible and diligent in his efforts to make a great stay for both of us. I think he and his friends had a good time and were great about getting quieter on Saturday night for my fabulous tenants down below. I am always surprised that folks clean our vacation rentals as well as they do before they leave....floors vacuumed and mopped, laundry often started and dishwasher running, and counters all wiped down. Grant and friends left the house a little more like I expected would be the case....crumbs on the counters and not a lot of visible effort at cleaning, but all in all perfectly respectable for one who has paid a cleaning fee. We would definitely have him back, though I'm not sure our style combines so well with the pack of college students, as lovey as they all were. I wished we had been able to make it to dinner, as Grant invited us to a shrimp scampi dinner!
I was very I impressed with such maturity and responsible communication on Grants part. It is no small feat to represent six of your friends in creating the plans for a vacation.